Posted by: Jim Yates, Wiley X Eyewear Pontiac
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At the camp's entrance
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With a group of Marines at the Camp Arifjan recreation center
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The group departed Camp Arifjan and headed to the Kuwait Naval Base for a briefing by Lt. Col. Bob Lesher, and that was followed a naval boat ride off the southeast coast of Kuwait.
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With Navy hosts at Kuwait Naval Base.
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Hi everyone! This is Toni once again here to share with you some news of Jim's trip to Kuwait.
As you know, Jim, W.J., Cory Mac and Jason Line joined Fred Simmonds and Jeff Romack from Pontiac Motorsports, on what will prove to be one of the most amazing and rewarding trips that they have ever taken. Jeff Romack has been documenting the trip and has been sending me daily notes and pictures and I thought that everyone might enjoy reading about this amazing story. I have cut and pasted Jeff's notes and attached the corresponding pictures – I hope you enjoy them.
From Jeff Romack:
I'm forwarding some early photos taken today (Sunday) of our NHRA drivers in Kuwait. The group converged in Washington Friday night and departed Dulles for the 13-hour flight to Kuwait at around 10 p.m. Eastern. We flew across central and southern Europe, south across the Black Sea before turning east along the northern coast of Turkey, then south through Iraq (threading the small Iraqi air-space window between Syria and Iran), out over the Persian Gulf, arriving in Kuwait City around 6 p.m. (local time) on Saturday. The first thing Sunday morning we were off to Camp Arifjan, our first stop. Camp Arifjan provides permanent support facilities for American forces in Kuwait. This photo shows the driver's group at the camp entrance.
These are just some of the pictures that I have received to date. Jim especially loved the boat trip – he said that they had eight-foot rollers and that these boats were really fast. I asked him if they had let him drive the boat since eight-foot seas seem to be the way Jimbo rolls! LOL He said that he just couldn't get these guys to let him get his hands on the throttles … imagine that!
Well, I can't wait to see Jeff's entire collection of videos and pictures when they return; he always does such an awesome job documenting their trips. It is evening in Kuwait right now and according to their schedule, they are supposed to be leaving for Germany in a few hours to once again visit Ramstein AFB and Landstuhl Regional Medical Center as well as several other locations. Jim says that the time has just been flying by and he wishes that they had another week to spend over there. In looking at these pictures, it looks like everyone is enjoying some nice warm weather…last check in Frankfurt I think it was 31 degrees!!! Good thing he packed his ski cap and gloves – huh?
Be sure to check back – hopefully Jeff will send some more pictures my way today!